The Web Newsletter of the Iowa Association of Naturalists

Spring 2013

Spring Workshop Info on pages 6-8!

In This Issue On the Trail Bison… Continued….page 3-5 IAN News…………...…..…….………...…..page 2 Book Review…………………………………page 5 Spring Workshop…………………..…pages 6-9 2012 IAN | ICEC Awards………..…..page 10 DIY Zen Garden……………………......page 11 Grapevine News…………..….………..page 12 Name That Nature Center……....…page 12 2012 Iowa Tourism Award……….….page 13

On the Trail of Bison… By Pete Eyheralde, Iowa State University It’s late afternoon on a hot summer day. Dripping sweat and jotting down field notes, I’m hunkered down in the tall grass as squadrons of dragonflies drone overhead. In the air just above the prairie grasses and wildflowers these winged predators find good hunting for a multitude of insects that seem to be hopping, buzzing, and flying in all directions. Dicksissels and sedge wrens belt out a continuous chorus from nearby, as they perch on the swaying grass stems. Hoping for cool breeze, I stand up from the vegetation quadrant I’ve been sampling and hear a loud roar from just over the hill. A deep, chest rattling roar that can only mean one thing – the bison rut is in full swing on the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. That low frequency sound travels for miles across the open grasslands, telling all would be challengers that 2,000 pounds of adult bull bison is ready and willing to defend his cows. Charging up from the creek bank he spots me (and ignores me, thankfully). This big fellow has more important matters to attend to than my intrusion into his territory. A rival bull is trotting down the hill, towards the cow-calf herd in the creek valley below. I soon find myself in the middle of two huge animals heading for each other like a train wreck. “Great, this will be fun.” I think to myself, “If I don’t get smashed in the middle of it…” The first bull is the bigger of the two and mud flies from his shaggy coat as he shakes his massive head from side to side. He heads straight for a wallow on the side of the hill, raking the dirt with his hooves and sending a yellow stream into the bare earth beneath him. Down on one knee he goes, stirring up a cloud of dust in the process. In a show of dominance with his tail held high, he turns broadside to his

opponent, revealing the full bulk of his rippling muscles. But the challenger isn’t deterred. He lowers his head for the charge and the ground literally shakes beneath me as the two giants slam into each other with a muffled thud and clash of horns. The smaller challenger loses footing as he’s pushed up-hill by the bigger bull. Turning, he’s bashed again in his front shoulder and gallops away with a noticeable limp. The champion (still ignoring me, thankfully) turns and swaggers back to the main cow-calf herd. Sound like fun? Well, it is, and that’s how I spend most of my summer days, hiking through the tallgrass prairie, hunting down clues the bison have left. Fieldwork is a big part of my PhD research that I’ve been doing for the last couple of years at Iowa State University. I’m in the Natural Resource Ecology and Management (NREM) Department, majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. I had raised bison on my own farm in southern Iowa for years and helped restore dozens of prairies in my time as the Naturalist for Mahaska County Conservation Board, so the opportunity to combine the two interests in my dissertation research at ISU seemed like a great fit. Continued on page 3

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IAN News

Save these dates!

Future IAN Workshops:

Spring 2013- National Mississippi Museum &

Aquarium- March 13-15th

Summer 2013- Warren County – August 7-9th

Fall 2013 – MEEC Conference, Coralville, IA

September 25-28th

IAN Committee Reports Membership Committee

Chair: Missy Smith

We have 105 current paying members, 13 honorary members and 52 that have not renewed. The current photo membership file will be uploaded to the listserv before the end of the month. Professional Development Chair: Miriam Patton

Members: Heidi Anderson, Charlene Elyea

We will be reviewing applications for recognition after the December 31st deadline and present awards at the March meeting. 26 applicants received recognition at the March meeting, with 5 new people participating. Mentoring Committee: Chair: Heather Hucka There were many counties that hired new naturalists this year. Currently there are 4 mentor/mentee pairings across the state Emmet, Cherokee, Iowa, and Madison counties are the new naturalists. The new naturalist luncheon was very well attended at the Fall IAN. Both mentees and mentors attended. Good conversations, connections, and questions were answered. Currently there are no other counties on my radar that will be hiring new naturalists in need of a mentor. IAN Publications Committee: Chair: Kelly Dix

Since this committee has pretty much been dormant the last few years an email was sent out to all former members to see where they are on their specific publication and if they are willing & able to complete it. The ISU extension office was also contacted and they have offered to post the updated publications on-line. Then we can link the IAN website directly to the publications posted on the ISU site. Lisa Anderson completed the Solid Waste booklet but the updated version is not posted on-line. IAN Scholarship Committee Chair: Jessica Steines For the 2012 year, $800 has been allocated to the IAN Scholarship Committee by ExCom. In 2012 one scholarship was awarded for $100 for a member to attend Spring IAN.

Traveling Exhibits Committee Chair: Ann Burns Members: Prairie Team – Sondra Cabell, Anita Fisher, Charlene Elyea, Jessica Wagner, Reba Reddick Aquatics Team – Hilary Markin, Holly Schulte, Chuck Ungs, Pete Eyerhalde, Jacklyn Gautsch, Angela Freyermuth, Marybeth Stevenson, Michelle Olson, Jenny Ammon The prairie exhibit is booked into September 2014. Cost for repair/replace the magnetic maze – a popular kids’ hands on item has been investigated. Current funds on hand are close to the needed amount. The Aquatics Team has held several phone conferences to discuss their concept. They are discussing a trailer to transport the exhibit and be a part of the exhibit at outdoor venues. The committee plans to submit a REAP-CEP grant in May 2013. The final report for the REAP CEP grant was submitted and accepted. Because the prairie exhibit did not cost as much as anticipated, IAN did return extra REAP CEP funds as required by REAP/ IDNR. ($4688). The prairie exhibit traveled to 7 locations in 2012 (# of visitors not available at this time).

Eighty-eight naturalist at the Fall IAN Meeting

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Continued from page 1

The long shaggy hair of bison serves to protect them as they plow through winter winds and the rough stems of summer grasses, but it also picks up a lot of seeds along the way. Grass seeds, wildflower seeds, and scraps of vegetation picked up and carried for who knows how long, or how far… That’s what I’m trying to find out with my research. We know that grazing by bison has a huge impact on grassland plant growth and the resulting habitats used by other wildlife. What I’m trying to determine is the role that bison play as seed dispersal agents. How many tallgrass prairie plants depend on bison to move their seeds around? How many of those species get “planted” in bison wallows? Most importantly for managers of tallgrass ecosystems – if we try to reconstruct prairies without bison, will they be truly functional ecosystems? In other words will they “work”? Prairie restoration is kind of like trying to restore an old car or tractor. Putting tall grass and wildflowers on the landscape is the equivalent of fixing up the body and paint job without restoring the engine. It looks good, but it’d be even better if it could run. To get those prairies up and running we need to not only restore the plant species that were present historically, but the ecological processes that were functioning across the landscape as well. What I’m trying to find out is if bison are more like the cup holder, that’s nice to have but not essential, or more like the transmission, that you can’t drive anywhere without. Conservative estimates suggest that 30 million bison once roamed over North American grasslands, from eastern Oregon to northern Florida and Canada to Mexico. That’s a lot of seeds getting moved around! As far back as 1892 E. L. Berthoud

Bison Round-up

Field Work

Bison Wallowing

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documented evidence of seed dispersal by bison as “a peculiar case of plant dissemination” in the Botanical Gazette. He observed plant seeds in the “enormous pad of hair four to twelve inches long that clothes the whole front of the buffalo's head” and the “dense long hair that clothes the legs and breast of the animal.” In my research I’m attempting to quantify that process by recording the abundance and diversity of plant species found not only in bison hair (epizoochory) but also in bison dung (endozoochory). Unique among other grassland herbivores, bison shed their winter hair in large clumps throughout the spring and summer. This shed hair is full of seeds, both recently attached, and seeds carried from the previous fall. Some of these clumps of hair are picked up by birds and rodents for nesting material, some are carried off by ambitious ants and some shed hair is literally planted in the soft bare earth of bison wallows as the animals roll back and forth over the ground. Most of the animals’ winter hair is lost in May and shedding tapers off by the end of July. Interestingly though, for the last 2 years I’ve found small numbers of hair samples on the ground in September and October. This fall shed hair is jet black, instead of the normal brown, suggesting that the hair from the legs is shed on a different schedule than rest of the body. Of course bison are eating grass (and seeds!) and depositing dung samples the whole year round. I have fifty, 50 meter transects set up in the 303 hectare (750 acre) bison and elk enclosure. Using a handheld Trimble GPS receiver, I locate and walk the transects once each month, collecting any shed hair or dung samples within one meter of the transect that the bison have been kind enough to leave for me. Funnel seed traps on each of the transects

collect seeds dispersed by wind and gravity, allowing for a direct comparison with the types of seeds carried to those spots in bison dung and shed hair. While extracting and identifying seeds from shed hair provides useful information, it doesn’t tell you the whole story. I need to know what seeds are being picked up and carried in bison hair in the early fall. I also want to know what seeds attach in early fall, but then fall out on their own, before the winter hair is shed the following spring. To do that I need to clip hair samples directly from the animal’s body. Sneaking up on a full grown bison with a pair of scissors is next to impossible (even the cows weigh 800 pounds) and using a dart gun to tranquilize the whole herd for a haircut is pretty impractical too. Luckily for me the bison herd at the wildlife refuge is rounded up every November to microchip the new calves, conduct genetic testing and check the health of the animals. That means that most of them end up going through a hydraulic squeeze chute, where I’ve got about three minutes to jump in with electric clippers and grab a hair sample, before they’re turned loose. Having direct contact with the animals allows me to classify which types of seeds are more likely to be carried by bulls, cows or juveniles. Preliminary evidence from last year’s data is showing quite a difference, most likely due to the different nutritional requirements and foraging behavior of nursing cows in large herds, compared to small groups of adult bulls that remain separate from the main cow-calf herd for most of the year. By studying the behavior and movement patterns of these bison I’ll be able to build a better picture of what drives their movements

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from one area of the prairie reconstruction to the next, what types of vegetation they are likely to forage in or pass through most often, and how the herds may interact with non-native plant species that weren’t found on the landscape 200 years ago. I’ve also placed GPS collars on three of the bison cows, to create a daily record of movement patterns of the herd within the reconstruction. This data can then be combined in a GIS layer with maps of vegetation types, topography, soil types, wallow locations, fence locations, water sources, controlled burn history, and probably a few other things I haven’t thought of yet. I’ll also be able to compare the movement

Book Review: Crow Planet: Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness By Lyanda Lynn Haupt Reviewed by: Sydney Hiatt, Pottawattamie CCB As human and wildlife habitats continue to overlap and struggle for space and resources, wilderness is increasingly taking on a more urban, occupied space. Often we think of wilderness—nature—as a place out there, a destination we must plan trips and travel to. In her book Crow Planet, Lyanda Lynn Haupt contends that nature should not be considered a destination, as something separate from where we live and what we do. Whether we dwell in the countryside amidst the howling coyotes or in a city filled with cement and skyscrapers, nature is always and everywhere around us.

patterns of the bison herd in this tallgrass prairie reconstruction with GPS data from bison herds in other states that are managed in larger enclosures, containing native prairie remnants, as well as from herds of free roaming bison in wilderness areas. The long-term goal of this field research is to produce predictive models of native and non-native seed dispersal by bison in tallgrass prairies. These models will help create a better understanding of how bison influenced plant dispersal throughout the eastern Great Plains historically, as well as how grassland managers today can restore the engines of the tallgrass prairies we are attempting to rebuild.

In Crow Planet, Haupt focuses her narrative and our growing urban wilderness on the one animal that has managed to flourish and expand as human populations and habitations increase: the American Crow. She chooses this bird for many reasons: they are prevalent, common, and easily recognizable; they thrive among human population centers in their ability to utilize waste as food. Native biodiversity is becoming increasingly threatened, and a once rich variety of species is being replaced by a few dominant, successful species like the crow. Crow Planet is not wholly a compilation of facts about crows. Crow Planet is about the way we view nature and what we value in nature. Haupt first challenges us to examine what in nature is important to us—is it crows cluttering our streets, or more complete, diverse, and intact ecosystems? Haupt is also challenging the reader to find beauty and worth not just in virgin forests, open prairies, and reserved spaces of wilderness—places out there—but in all of the living things we share space with—the squirrels scurrying across our yards, the crickets chirping in the trees, the crows flocking at sunset.

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Spring IAN Workshop

March 13 – 15, 2013

National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium

350 East 3rd St; Port of Dubuque, IA 52001

563-557-9545

Swiss Valley Nature Center

Dubuque County Conservation Board

13606 Swiss Valley Road; Peosta, IA 52068

563-556-6745

Mines of Spain (E.B. Lyons Nature Center)

–Iowa Department of Natural Resources

8001 Bellevue Heights; Dubuque, IA 52003

563-556-0620

Wednesday, March 13, 2013 - Pre-Workshop Options

All Day Tour with lunch at local restaurant. Meet at Swiss Valley at 9:00 a.m.

Tour may include: Tour of Lock and Dam #11 with Brett Streckwald – USACE; Pohlman Prairie, Tour of Wyaconda

Coast Guard Cutter and Buoy Tender; Catfish Creek watershed and look at sustainable water management projects

with Eric Scmechel.

Sowing Stories, Reaping Meanings – Developing an Interpretive Strategy/Plan for Your Site – Angi Reid,

Education & Interpretation Manager; Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area

This session takes place at MinesOf Spain from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.

Why is interpretation important, and how do you go about creating an interpretation strategy at your site that links

to your larger themes and mission? Learn how to implement interpretive tools at your site through the use of a new

manual created by Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area. Each participant will receive a copy of the

manual, which contains hands-on worksheets along with supplemental information on the art of interpretation and

interpretive training. If you have any questions on this IAN pre-workshop session, please contact Angi at

areid@silosandsmokestacks.org. A minimum of 10 must register for this session to take place.

Green Celebrations: Train-the-Trainer – Susan Salterberg, UNI CEEE and Kristi Cooper, ISU Extension

This session will take place at Swiss Valley Nature Center from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. (for a full description please

see page 9 of this newsletter)

PM- Dinner on own or as group

Lodging Information Best Western – Dubuque Hotel

3100 Dodge Street

Dubuque, IA 52003

1-800-336-4392

563-557-8000

$77.00 per night

Includes hot breakfast!!

A block of rooms is held under Iowa Association of Naturalists until February 20!

We will also have a social room open for our use.

Thursday, March 14, 2013 – At National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium (NMRMA)

8:30 – Registration Opens

9:00 – Welcome, Introductions, Orientation to Facility

9:30 – 10:45 – Concurrent Sessions I

Behind the scenes tours and animal care – Lee Jackson and Abby Urban - Living Collections Department at

NMRMA

Turtles, Secrets of the Shell Exhibit specific programming and exhibit design – NMRMA Staff

10:45 – Break

11:00 – 12:00 – Concurrent Sessions II

Extensive Tour of the William M. Black Dredge Boat – Mark Wagner – Director of Education and Visitor

Experience at NMRMA

Live Animal Programming at the NMRMA – Jared McGovern – NMRMA

River of Music –Chuck Jacobsen – Interpretive Naturalist – Clinton CCB

If only all my formal education were put to music, I might have had a shot at 4.0 grades. Fortunately a great deal of

music has been inspired by and written about the Mississippi. You are invited to spend an hour listening, tapping a

toe or even singing along as the geological and anthropological history of this great river is presented through short

narratives and the home-spun talents of yours truly through the music of McGuire, Prine, Denver, Meyer, Pride,

Mancini and others. Images of the river will be projected to illustrate the story.

12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch and Book Discussion- Book to be discussed is “Peril in the Ponds” by Judy Helgen

1:00 – 2:15 – Concurrent Sessions III

A Geological View of the Iowa Landscape – Jean C. Prior – Research Geologist (retired); Iowa Geological Survey

There are remarkable differences in Iowa’s terrain from one part of the state to another. These differences in shapes

and earth materials reflect an interesting history of geologic events, including the presence of ancient seafloors, the

stagnation and melting of glaciers, the thick accumulation of wind-blown silt, and the scour and sculpture of rivers.

This diversity of landscape features across Iowa will be illustrated, with explanations of their origins. Particular

attention will be given to the “Little Switzerland” of northeastern Iowa.

Presentation on CELC’s and the Coastal America Student Oceans Conference – Jared McGovern – NMRMA

Sustainability in Dubuque – Bev Wagner

2:15 – Break

2:30 – 4:00 – General Session I

Paddlefish and Mussel Identification – Denny Weiss – Iowa Department of Natural Resources

4:00 – Break and Meeting Set-up

4:15 – 5:30 – Business Meeting

5:30 – Dinner and After Hours Reception at NMRMA

At this time Natalie Busta will have a booth about and be available to answer questions about the Mississippi River

Network and 1 Mississippi

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Friday, March 15, 2013 – At Mines of Spain – E.B. Lyons Nature Center 9:30 – 11:30 – Hiking and Driving Tour of Mines of Spain Recreation Area – Wayne Buchholz – Iowa Department of

Natural Resources

9:30 – 10:30 – Concurrent Sessions IV

Cornfield to Glaciers: A Naturalist’s Journey Out West – Brian Gibbs – Clayton CCB

Brian spent last summer working as an interpretive park ranger in Glacier National Park. Immerse yourself in the parks beauty

through his stories, poetry and pictures. Brian will also share how his experience relates the landscape and ecology of Northeast

Iowa to that of a mini-Glacier National Park.

Going on SAFARI!: Adventuring and Exploring in Winneshiek County – Lilly Jensen – Winneshiek CCB

Driftless Safari is a free, summer-long scavenger hunt that leads participants on self-directed adventures exploring their local

natural, cultural and historic treasures. The program, which has had almost 2,000 participants over the last two years, strives to

engage participants in healthful physical activity, to increase utilization of local natural and cultural resources, and to foster

community connectedness, ownership and stewardship. Come learn how to bring this unique program to your city, county or

region.

10:30 – Break

10:45 – 12:00 - Concurrent Sessions V

Turtle Program with Live Turtles – Denny Weiss – Iowa DNR

Using Bag It! DVD To Deepen Understanding – Susan Salterburg – UNI CEEE

In a ranking of environmental films, “Bag It!” gets 5 stars. This humor-filled documentary for grades 3 and up is “not about

being against plastic. It’s about being against stupid plastic.” You’ll watch clips and be introduced to lesson plans that will

engage your audiences. First 20 participants receive a free copy of the “Bag It!” DVD. You’ll also learn how it meets Iowa

Core Requirements.

12:00 – Lunch and Depart

Spring IAN Workshop- March 13 – 15, 2013

Name _______________________________________________________________________________

Affiliation____________________________________________________________________________

Address______________________________City___________________State___________Zip________

Phone #_______________________________ Alternate Phone #________________________________

E-mail_______________________________________________________________________________

Please Register me for the following pre-workshop session:

____Dubuque County Full-Day Tour FREE

____Sowing Stories, Reaping Meanings – Developing an Interpretive Strategy/Plan for Your Site $30.00

____Green Celebrations: Train-the-Trainer $15.00

Meals (please check all that apply)

Thursday Lunch: Meat or vegetarian hamburger buffet, potato chips, mixed green salad, brownie $8.95

Thursday Dinner: Vegetable Lasagna and Parmesan Peppercorn Chicken and sides $16.95

Friday Lunch: Cream of Potato and Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Salad and Sandwich Buffet $12.95

Non-member Workshop Fee- $40.00 OR Workshop Fee- $20.00 Late fee after February 28- $5.00

Please make checks payable to: IAN Treasurer Meal Total: ______

Mail Payment Form to Pre-Workshop Total ______

Annette Wittrock Workshop Fee Total ______

IAN Workshop Coordinator Total ______

1339 Hwy 63Bloomfield, IA 52537

Please contact the workshop coordinator at wapellocountynaturalist@gmail.com or 641-682-3091 with any additional questions. If

your payment will not arrive by the registration deadline, please let Annette know by mailing, e-mailing or faxing (641-683-4621) a

copy of your registration form.

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2012 IAN | ICEC Conservation &

Environmental

Education Excellence Awards

Aldo Leopold Environmental Education Award

Mark Wagner for Lifetime Achievement in EE Excellence

and Leadership Our lives are documented by numbers. How old we are, how

many years we have been married or worked at a job. Mark

Wagner has some pretty impressive numbers. He has worked

in the environmental field for 40 years, 27 of those years with

the Jasper County Conservation Board and 34 consecutive

years as a hunter education instructor. As a founding member

of the Iowa Association of Naturalists he has helped define

what environmental education is within the state and continues

his legacy as an interpreter at the National Mississippi River

Museum & Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa. Mark Wagner

exemplifies what it means to be a naturalist, land steward and

conservationist.

Outstanding County Conservation board EE Program

(2 or less interpreters) In 2012, Mahaska County Conservation programs reached over

18,000 people with an EE budget of only $7,227. Programs

offered included a youth outdoor field day, live healthy hikes,

day camps, fishing programs, a maple syrup festival,

landowner workshops, and movies on the barn. Many of the

programs were enhanced by partnerships with other agencies

and organizations. The success of the environmental education

program is evident by the participation of the people in

Mahaska County.

Bohumil Shimek Environmental Educator Award

For Outstanding Efforts by an Environmental Educator When Kate Zimmerman, Director of the Ringgold County

Conservation Board, was hired in 2010 there was no

environmental education programming in place. Kate

immediately began conducting school, public and civic group

programs. In the past year alone, she has reached over 2500

people through her educational efforts. Kate has also worked

hard to expand public awareness on the prairie chickens found

in her county by working with the Iowa DNR and developing

educational signage at the Kellerton Bird Conservation Area.

“Ding” Darling Environmental Education Award

For Outstanding EE Program or Event which Informs

and Educates the General Public

“Driftless Safari” began in 2011. That year 850 individuals

registered to travel across Winneshiek County in search of 20

rubbing posts (wooden posts with reverse-embossed tiles

attached). Each participant received a free safari map,

guidebook, bag, and crayons with directions to each location

and clues to find rubbing posts. At the end of the summer 90

participants had completed the safari. The program had

succeeded in getting people outside and exploring the

natural/cultural resources. In 2012 the program continued with

over 1,000 individuals registered to participate in the safari.

Ada Hayden Conservation Education Award

For Outstanding Efforts to Educate About Preservation,

Land Management, or Natural

Resource Conservation Many individuals have been impacted by Gary Siegwarth. His

passion for natural resource conservation is apparent whether

he is teaching about trout, soil erosion or floating down the

Turkey River. Gary has spent the last two decades inspiring

others to preserve the land through stewardship and sound land

management practices. To ensure these values are continued

by future generations, Gary partners with teachers and county

conservation boards; demonstrating to local youth how to burn

prairies, clean up rivers and plant trees.

Frederic Leopold Environmental Education Award

For outstanding EE efforts by Business, Industry, or

Labor This year’s award goes to Jean Eells of E Resources Group. E

resources was founded in 1998 by Jean Eells and Wendy

Zohrer. E Resources Group has worked at integrating

environmental education and interpretation into natural

resources programs, land management, and agricultural

conservation beyond the contracted business agreement. Jean

has networked to bring together multiple organizations and

individuals to better benefit conservation practices and service

to the community. She has also advised the IAN & ICEC on

projects. Since 2003 Jean has volunteered on the State Soil

Conservation Committee and is currently the Vice Chair. Jean

has provided leadership to the conservation community and

truly lived out her conservation ethic through her projects with

E Resources Group.

Chris Holt Youth Environmental Education Award

For an Outstanding EE Program for Youth or

Conducted by Youth (Preschool-Grade 12) For the past 16 years the Palo Alto Ducks Unlimited Chapter

has sponsored an event called, “Greenwings Youth Program”.

Partnering with Palo Alto County Conservation, they help

nearly 100 children each year learn more about Iowa wetland

habitats and the recreational opportunities. The day includes a

variety of activities including duck calling, duck identification,

fishing, skinning, and wood duck house construction. In a

county with a population of less than 10,000 residents, this

annual program makes a huge splash with local youth.

Outstanding Interpretative Print Media Most county conservation boards have newsletters; however

not many are fifteen pages long and in full color! “Nature

News” published by Polk County Conservation keeps residents

informed on county wide environmental issues and

improvements. It is fun to read and helps educate the public on

upcoming activities such as the bond referendum that passed in

November 2012. Congratulations to the staff of Polk County

Conservation in producing such a high quality newsletter and

receiving the 2012 Outstanding Interpretative Print Media

Award.

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Do-it-yourself Zen Garden Submitted by: Jen Meyer, Jackson CCB Naturalist

Intern

We all could use a bit more peace in our daily

lives so for this take home activity we’ll be using

found objects to build a table top zen garden.

Zen Gardens or dry gardens "kare-sansui" are

large outdoor gardens found near temples or

monasteries in Japan and are thought to

encourage inner contemplation. The sand

represents the ocean and the rocks, mountains or

islands; the rake is used create ripples in this

ocean. Using 3 rocks creates asymmetry which

implies that there is no perfection in the world,

which is important in Buddhist thought.

The only part that requires actual construction

will be the rake. Simply painting the bottom

portion of a large juice carton, a plant saucer or

gluing cardboard to an old picture frame will

provide ample area and side height for the sand

so no carpentry experience needed.

With a sharp knife or scissors cut the thin sticks or bamboo skewer the following lengths:

6cm -the handle

2cm -the base of the fork

4X 1cm of the pointed part of the skewers -for the prongs

Once the prongs are cut, take another ¼ cm off the pointy end (it is a rake not a weapon).

Now; glue all four prongs to the 2cm long base of the fork. When glue dries, glue the handle to

the base of the fork; such that it runs perpendicular to the prongs (see images below).

Fill your garden space about 2/3 full with sand. Rake it into a pleasing pattern and add your

pebbles. Add any other object that you enjoy and rearrange the items when ever you need a

moment to think.

Have fun with these. I’ve seen these with toy figurines, drink umbrellas, beads, moss, combs and

bird feet instead of rakes, aquarium décor, candles, salt instead of sand; you get the idea. Heck, if

it’s been one of ‘those’ days, kill your key board, fill it with sand and paint the keys into mock

pebbles.

Materials:

Other small found objects

(small pinecones, seeds, etc)

Sand

Pebbles

Sticks or

skewers

Glue

Scissors

Paint

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Name That Nature Center Contest! Submit your guess to Jess Wagner (jess@jacksonccb.com ); please use “Name This Nature Center” as

the subject line. The sender of the first correct answer will win bragging rights in the next issue of The

Web!

The winner of the "Name that Nature Center" in this fall's edition of "The Web" was Katie van der

Linden, Naturalist for Buena Vista County Conservation. Katie was the first to correctly name the

Mississippi River EcoTourism Center in Clinton County (where the IAN fall workshop was held).

Grapevine News!!

Julie Fosado (Kossuth CCB assistant naturalist) and husband Alex welcomed a baby boy Felix

Anthony Fosado on Nov. 14, 2012. He was 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

Jacklyn Gautsch (Iowa DNR Biologist) and Matthew Fisher (TNC) got engaged, finally.

Marty and Rene Stroud (Sac CCB) welcomed June Marie Stroud on August 31st. She was 6lbs 13

oz. and is healthy and doing fine.

Brittney Tiller has been hired by the Louisa County Conservation Board as a new naturalist.

Katie van der Linden (Buena Vista CCB) got engaged over Christmas to her boyfriend of two

years Rob Struss.

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You could write for The Web!!

We are always looking for articles, book reviews and upcoming events that would be of

interest and any member can submit something!! To submit send your submissions to

The Web Editor Jacklyn Gautsch at j.gautsch78@gmail.com. Electronic submissions are

preferred in word documents for text and jpeg for images.

2012 Iowa Tourism Award Polk County Conservation Naturalist, Lori Foresman-

Kirpes, received the Individual Friend of Tourism award

for planning and coordinating the Eco-focused bus trips

throughout Iowa.

The Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of

Iowa presented 12 awards recognizing excellence in the

tourism industry during the 2012 Iowa Tourism

Conference. "The state of Iowa is home to hundreds of

destinations that provide outstanding service to travelers

from around the globe," said Iowa Tourism Office

Manager Shawna Lode. "It's our privilege to honor a

handful of standouts whose efforts are truly outstanding.“

Polk County Conservation has sponsored Eco-focused day trips & overnight trips for the past 16 years. Over the

past 9 years Lori Foresman-Kirpes, Naturalist, has focused on expanding the eco-trips to unique areas throughout

Iowa and the Midwest.

Lori has organized and planned over 46 Eco-bus adventures in the past 9 years for Polk County Conservation.

The eco-trips have expanded from 3 trips per year in 2004 to 7 eco-trips offered in 2012. The eco-trips have

become increasingly popular. In the past 9 years over 2,070 participants have participated in an eco-trip bringing in

over $134,500 for travel and tourism in Iowa.

Lori’s goal on the trips is to reconnect Iowans to the unique venues, conservation and natural history areas in Iowa,

as well as the wonderful hospitality offered by local residents. Iowa has so many wonderful places to explore and

unique natural areas to visit. The bus trip participants enjoy discovering these unique places together as a group.

Below are comments from evaluations by eco-bus trip participants:

“This was a splendid day...I’m lost to find anything to criticize. It offered many memorable stops interesting to

see, such dedication and creativity. Thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed the day! “(2011 participant on the High

Trestle Trail to Pickett Fence trip, Madrid, IA)

“This was the best 1 day tour I’ve taken in many years. Thank you for a good time.” Rosemary H. (Villages of Van

Buren County, 2010 bus trip)

“Can’t say enough good things about how Lori & Nancy took care of us on this trip…they are good people and

excellent representatives of Polk County Conservation”. (2011 Cruising Clear Lake eco-tour participant)

IAN Executive Committee

President

Jess Wagner

Jackson County Conservation Naturalist

18670 63rd Street

Maquoketa, IA 52060

(563)652-3783

jess@jacksonccb.com

Workshop Coordinator

Annette Witrock

Wapello County Conservation Naturalist

1339 Hwy 63

Bloomfield, Iowa 52537

(641) 682-3091

annette_wittrock@hotmail.com

Secretary

Matt Crayne

Chickasaw County Naturalist

1181 240th St

Ionia, IA 50645

(319) 330-7798

mattcryane@hotmail.com

Vice President

Kelly Dix

Pottawattamie County Conservation

Environmental Educator

223 S. 6th Street

Council Bluffs, IA 51501

(712) 545-3283 x5834

kelly.dix@pottcounty.com

Treasurer

Chuck Jacobsen

Clinton County Conservation Naturalist

(563)357-0759 / (563)847-7202

cjacobsen@clintoncounty-ia.gov

Check out the IAN Web Site: www.iowanaturalists.org

Naturalists – planting the seed of environmental stewardship by communicating

the meanings and relationships in natural, cultural, and historical resources.